Rajoy the Silent; Princess Cristina - Innocent or innocent?; Spanish blood; & Touching on different cultures.

I mentioned Spain's disdainful politicians yesterday and later I read of a rare interview which President Rajoy had given the day before to single journalist. In a word, he said nothing, particularly on the subject of corruption, the 2nd greatest concern of the populace. It concerns him too, apparently, but he seems to have no idea what to do about it except bring in a "Law of Transparency". Nothing about stamping it out and putting the guilty behind bars. It's not hard to figure out why, I suppose. He'd lose most of his cabinet and his regional governors. Possibly even all of them.

One thing the president did do was to stress his conviction - before the evidence has been examined in court - that Princess Cristina is innocent of the offences attributed to her. Can there, one wonders, be any substance behind this confidence? A knowledge, perhaps, of what will happen whatever the investigating judge finds and concludes.

A week or so ago, a Spanish reader amicably questioned my point that there was a lot of gore in the Spanish media. But now (s)he has nobly retracted this point and provided evidence in the form of El País's fotos of emaciated bodies showing signs of torture by the Syrian regime. In contrast, I saw only one tame foto (of just a neck) in the British press. And then yesterday came El País´s fotos of two corpses after a car bomb explosion in Syria, with blood streaming from both of them. I rest my case.

Finally . . . You may or may not have heard of accusations of sexual harassment by a leading Lib Dem politician in the UK, Lord Rennard. Having read an article in the Times about this earlier today, I posted this comment. I cite it only because of it's Spanish connection:-

I live in Spain, where both sexes are remarkably tactile by British standards. Both men and women touch and rub thighs, arms and even backs during conversations with friends. You can imagine how confusing this is to an Anglo. But I've learned to attribute nothing to it and even to indulge in it, without fear of accusations.

Of course, this is nothing to compare with groping and touching up under the table or in the lift, etc. These can never be justified - even by Shirley Williams - unless an intimate relationship has already been established.

I'm quite a bit older than Lord Rennard but fail to understand how he can't seem to understand this. So my suspicion is he does but is prepared to go to any lengths to avoid the consequences. Why Lord Carlile is risking his reputation as his defence QC is beyond me. It certainly can't be the fee he's getting.

What I didn't say is that I know Lord Carlile, as we studied law together in London. I've asked a mutual friend - also an eminent QC - why he thinks this is happening but I've yet to receive his Opinion. Which I do hope I don't have to pay for!